Tout est bon at Maison Buon – Marseille’s massive food court! A stone’s throw from the Vieux-Port neighborhood, this 700 m² space has been home to the legendary Cave des Papilles and the hip Madame Jeanne since 2016. Here you’ll find the official guru, Laurent Katz, who made a huge catch in netting chef Numa Muller (ex-Simone et Paulette in Arles) to feed the post-lockdown appetites of Marseille. The latter sent out a more-than-reasonably priced €22 prix-fixe menu the day we went, seated on the garden patio: flash-seared sardine fillets with a hibiscus reduction, basil oil and roasted cherries for an uber-graphic appetizer – or lightly flame-charred white asparagus with a vinegary sabayon and pickled mustard seeds; followed by a bonito fillet that was beautifully raw in the center, served with red Camargue rice, taggiasche olives and whole mussels; before a mouthwatering chocolate ganache topped with a black olive brunoise. At night, as we wait for the government curfew to be over (and the arrival of the four-course menu), the kitchen sends out stunning small plates: peas and labneh topped with herring roe; bonito head filled with slurpable juices; a soft-boiled egg with tofu and fresh tarragon…. In short, Madame Jeanne is an excellent host! // Antoine Antoine
FEELING THIRSTY? Natural gems: a prim and proper white (Vilain P’tit Ch’nin from Les Jousset, €6 a glass), a translucent orange wine (Espectacular from Les Vins Pirouettes, €41 a bottle), a striking Arbois red (La Pépée from the Domaine Les Bottes Rouges, €46).
PRICES: Prix-fixe menu €22 (lunch), small plates €6-18 (dinner).
